A Spiritual Director or spiritual friend has a simple job: to help you hear God for yourself, with greater confidence and clarity, joining in a conversation that God is already having with you.
When you want to receive what God has to “say” (it’s not always in words), a spiritual director can sometimes be mighty helpful. I know, because I’ve been helped this way. Often.
Why and how can this be? What goes on? I’m still figuring this out, but my current understanding is something like this:
“Hearing” God can be hard, because:
-Our own opinions, beliefs, personal history and other “stuff” can sometimes make it harder to hear God by ourselves.
-A lot of us still need a lot more practice trying to hear from God. (Hearing is a metaphor that can include words, still knowing that is pre-verbal, seeing or feeling something, noticing thoughts in our mind that might be from God, and lots more. Whew! No wonder we can use help!)
-There are many ways God “speaks” to us, and the methods God uses have useful side effects to help us. For more on this, see: https://ministermorelikejesus.com/voices-of-god/
A Spiritual Director or spiritual friend can sometimes help:
-Your issues are not felt so deeply by another person, are not so personal, making hearing easier.
-Someone with practice hearing from God, and whose abilities complement yours can be a wonderful partner. Especially when
-They care. When you and they have a “heart connection”, connect well.
-Having someone who listens deeply and well, with their heart, helps us all clarify issues and be clearer and more ready for fresh insight.
A Spiritual Director of spiritual friend has a Helper, Holy Spirit, who
-Is the same Helper and Comforter who is helping you! We have Someone in common.
-The two humans can have a conversation, which is private and aimed at helping, and both of us have the same Holy Spirit who is communicating with you.
A Spiritual Director or spiritual friend has had lots of experience receiving such help. Knows what it’s like. Can be sensitive to issues about spiritual direction and to what may matter to you.
A Spiritual Director or spiritual friend has a simple job: to help you hear God for yourself, with greater confidence and clarity, joining in a conversation that God is already having with you.